A wide variety of surgical instruments are reusable. Reusable surgical instruments must be cleaned and sterilized before use in surgery. Many reusable surgical instruments are steam sterilized within a medical autoclave after a surgeon completes a surgical procedure. Typically, reusable surgical instruments are collected, e.g., by a technician, after the instruments have been used in surgery. The used, non-sterile surgical instruments are then sterilized in a medical autoclave. Once sterilized, an instrument is ready for use in another surgical procedure.
Reusable microsurgical instruments, e.g., ophthalmic surgical instruments, are frequently damaged during cleaning and sterilization. These instruments are particularly susceptible to damage due to their micro-scale dimensions. Moreover, instrument components manufactured from polymers, e.g., thermoplastics, may experience undesirable changes after exposure to high temperature steam in a medical autoclave. For example, an actuation structure of an instrument handle may extend a first distance when compresses prior to sterilization in a medical autoclave. The actuation structure of the instrument handle may expand slightly during sterilization in a medical autoclave. After sterilization, the actuation structure of the instrument handle may extend a second distance when compressed and the instrument may no longer function as intended. Accordingly, there is a need for protecting reusable microsurgical instruments during sterilization in a medical autoclave and for ensuring reusable microsurgical instruments function as intended after sterilization in a medical autoclave.